AIBU to think that if some Cristians won't do yoga because it might damage their faith....

[seeker]

...they can't simultaneously say that making children to pray to a Christian god in school won't have any influence on their inner lives?

Sorry that this is a thread about a thread by the way, but I didn't want to derail the one where the yoga teacher is asking for information.

Their own children or any children?

I'm always saying that I think it's outrageous that you can;t attend a state school in theUk without being expected to say Chriatian prayers. i am always being told, both on here and in real life that it won;t have any influence on them at all, that I'm being ridiculous and t's only words.

Yet there's a thread on here at the moment where Christians are explaining why they won;d attend a yoga class (not a meditation class - simply yoga for exercise) because it might damage their faith.

How does that compute?

Bu you can, seeker, My Dcs are in a state primary school in the UK and I have opted out of religious practice (church assembly...).

I want to know why their faith is so weak that bending their body will cause damage.

I realize that you can op out - but why should you have to make your child the odd one out? Why should your child be the one not fully participating in school life?

And I guarantee that there will be other bits of "praying" that happen apart from assemblies!

it is far too early in the morning for my brain to start considering how a person's faith can be tested by bending in a certain way which may or may not have once upon a time been practiced by people of a different faith. and i also don't think that a once a week assembly and reciting a few prayers will influence anyones faith at all either unless they actively think about it deeper and choose to learn and follow something. but yoga??????/ and christianity????? really????? [muchly]

and it's still too early.

maybe it's like metal fatigue there are microscopic cracks there already, and bending it and stretching it (in a cold community centre) will eventually make it snap.

I don't get this. My sister is a very active born again Christian and she does yoga every week.

It is equally as bad to ban yoga!
The family that you are born into is a lottery and a DC isn't anyting-they are merely the DC of a Christian, atheist, Muslim etc etc. I see no reason why they shouldn't be exposed to all ideas-they need to know them to make up their own mind.
The idea that I find extraordinary is that your mother has made up her mind and she has made it up for you and also her future grandchildren!!
I don't know why people are so frightened-e.g. frightened of prayers in assembly, frightened of yoga. DCs are intelligent and will work things out for themselves. Teach them to question everyone, including you, and have faith in them. They do not need all this censoring in case they think differently to mummy! If they do think differently-why does it matter?

I put church assemblies as a non exaustive list They do RE when it is about frienship, working hard... but not to prepare for easter and Christmas, they do not do the Christmas play either. If it reassures you, it has never made my dcs feel like the odd ones out, they still mostly are part of their school life. When some Dcs choose to "give thanks" before lunch, I am fine with my Dcs listening but if they do not ewant to say Amen at the end of it,nobody will tell them they have to. As Muslims, religion is very included in every bit of our day to day life, maybe it helps me understand that Christians also want their faith included in the way their children are brought up,even in school. I do realise that not every non Muslim is a Christian and that there are many other religions arround BTW, I am just trying to explain why it does not "shock" me that religion is included in school and it is up to parents to opt out should they wish to.

Unless it is a church school they will say 'if you want to make this your prayer say amen'-if they don't they just remain respectful and quiet-not a bad thing. Quite good to start the day in quiet reflection-a bit similar to yoga.

Sorry x posted wit exotic

"They do not need all this censoring in case they think differently to mummy! If they do think differently-why does it matter?"

It is not so much a case of censorship exotic it is a case of being a bit coherent. As a parent it is quite normal I think to include your child in the way you worship as adults they will do as they wish (the same way I chose to live the RC faith I was born in to become a Muslim. I cannot teach at home that God has not had a child and be happy for them to sing He is born the son on God because it does not make sense. I have no problem for my children to leanr about other religion in general facts but actual worshiping is a diferent matter.

It is not the case in our school, there no " 'if you want to make this your prayer say amen' disclaimer , I do know because I hapen to be there when they do it (lunch time assistant).

I am very grateful to be able to practicwe my faith here in a way I would not be allowed in my own birth country. I will forever fight for people of any religion or non religion to practice or not as long as it is not imposed to everyone to worship in the same way regardless of their faith. to me , being able to opt oput of worship means just that, I let people practice their faith as they wish and they let me practice mine. I think it is beautiful that we can all live together that way (where I am anyway).

"Unless it is a church school they will say 'if you want to make this your prayer say amen'-if they don't they just remain respectful and quiet"

? Where's this then? Certainly not in any school I've ever been in.

goionine your posts are very eloquent.

Thanks SkinittingFluffyBunnyBonnets Glad you managed to read throughthe typos

They said it in my DCs school-I have been to enough assemblies to know it is consistent.
Obviously you bring up your DCs to follow your faith or lack of it, but what you need to bear in mind, from before they are born, is that they might not follow. They have a free choice. One thing is for absolute sure, they will exercise that free will eventually; if they have a strong parent it may take longer.

I bring my DCs up according to the world 'as exoticfruits sees it' but I am not going to put my hands over their ears everytime someone tells them differently, or get up in arms because they have been to school or elsewhere has put an alternative and say 'how dare they -they are exoticfruit's DCs and it is her gift to tell them what to think and filter out anything and anyone who disagrees'!

I really don't understand, and no one has told me to my satisfaction, why it matters if your DCs think differently

"let people practice their faith as they wish and they let me practice mine. "

I agree. But the education system in this country does not allow this. In order for my child to fully participate in the life of a state primary school (not a church school - just a state primary school) he or hse will have to pray to a Christian god. This is obviously wrong.

And this is not about censorship or imposing beliefs. I think it is very important that children learn about beliefs and faiths and be given the opportunity to think about their own spiritual life. But if, when they go to school, the message they gat is "Here are all the faiths of the world. We learn about them all, we visit thier places of worship, we learn to respect and appreciate them. But when we come together as a school, we are all Christians and pray to the Christian god because that is the faith of the school", then how is that helping them on their own individual spiritual journey? When I say I do not want my children to pray in school, I am not saying that I want them to be atheists. I am saying that I do not want them to be influenced towads on particular faith by people that they respect and trust the opinions of at a plache where they should be learing to question and think for themslves.

exotic, it is not about putting my hands on their ears, it is about them not activly taking part in worshiping of a different faith. As I said, I made the choice myself of changing religion so I am well aware it does happen and as adults my children will do as they want but for now yes, their religion practice is very much "according to gorionine" my Dcs have very few Muslim friends so are well aware of people doing different things it does not mean they HAVE to do the same as them though, does it?

I think you're selling your kids short, seeker. Just because they pray in school (and I happen to agree with you that it's not appropriate, but I'm from the US) doesn't mean they won't question and learn to think for themselves.

Kids tend to find their own way despite parents/schools/church.

I think yoga these days is classed more as a form of exercise than it used to be. You can meditate on god while your doing it so rather than damage your faith I would say it's okay. It's where your heart is that counts.

There's yoga and then there's yoga. Some yoga classes are very spiritual, others are more exercise focused. I, as a Christian, have been to a very spiritual one and felt uncomfortable - not particularly because I'm unsure in my faith but because there seemed to be an almost 'holy'/worshipful/religious element which everyone else was taking very seriously.

WRT schools, yes, collective worship a Christian nature exists but I'm of the firm belief that collective worship/observance of other religions should exist too and DCs should be informed that 'this is a Christian prayer' or 'this is a Buddhist meditation which is like a prayer' or 'we're going to say a Jewish blessing in Hebrew now' and then left the choice whether they participate or not as long as they're respectful. I've seen this work very well in primary schools and experienced it working well at my secondary school where we had different assemblies for different religions. Unfortunately not all schools take this view but that doesn't really have anything to do with a personal decision by Christians who feel uncomfortable with the spiritual aspects of yoga.

I agree wholeheartedly with Tee. DCs question. You should actually be pleased with schools-it gives great topics to discuss over meal times! DCs are much more intelligent than people give them credit for-there seems to be a view that they are empty vessels waiting to be filled. They are really interested in the meaning of life- death is something else they find interesting-it is adults who find it difficult.
If school assemblies had the remotest effect on DCs the churches would be full to overflowing! My DCs never, ever mentioned an assembly. Thinking back to my childhood I couldn't tell you a single one that stood out and I could tell you about.

Schools should give new parents a letter as the DCs start and then people wouldn't be under the false impression that there are secular schools in England. The average parent doesn't read the education acts or they would realise that schools have to hold collective worship and that RE is the only subject that has to be taught by law.

If you want change you need to join the secular society and fight for change. While the monarch is the Head of State and church there isn't a hope. It needs disestablishmentarianism-which I expect will come one day, but not the near future.

I am all for throwing all views in the melting pot-discussing and taking the ones you want-with your DCs not having to take yours just because you gave birth!

But why should children pray to a God chosen by the school? I honestly, truly don;t understand this. Will somebody please explain?

I think you are getting things confused.

Some Christians won't do yoga because it has its basis in spiritual blah bah whatever.

Some people say that it doesn't matter if children are told to say prayers for a particular religion at school because they can make their own minds up later.

They are probably not the same people.